Phoenix Suns might have three Hall of Famers

Steve Nash a shoo-in, but Vince Carter and Grant Hill have some Hall of Fame credentials

by Paul Coro - Mar. 31, 2011 05:53 PMThe Arizona Republic

It might be hard to tell because of a four-game losing streak and the likelihood of having to watch the playoffs in two weeks but the Suns might have as many Hall of Famers on their active roster as any NBA team.

It is hardly noticeable when the team is 36-38 and the three candidates are on the back sides of their careers.

Suns guard Steve Nash is a shoo-in for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Every Hall-eligible NBA Most Valuable Player has made it and he is one of only 12 multiple MVP winners.

It is Suns swingmen Grant Hill and Vince Carter who have cloudier candidacies.

Hill was robbed of much of his prime by injuries but still is a seven-time All-Star who ranks in the all-time top 100 lists for points and assists with more basketball ahead at age 38. Hill also was on two national championship teams at Duke, was a first team All-American and played for the 1996 U.S. Olympic gold medal team.

"It's a basketball hall of fame, not the NBA hall of fame," said Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo, who remains a Suns chairman. "It covers all levels of contributions. By definition, the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame that honors people from all levels of the game."

Carter also has an Olympic gold medal from 2000 but his candidacy is more rooted in numbers.

Carter is one of 37 players in NBA history to score 20,000 points. He ranks 36th all-time after passing Tom Chambers, leaving Mitch Richmond as the only Hall-eligible player ahead of him who is not a Hall member. Carter will pass him on the scoring list with 57 more points.

"Those are tough calls," ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said of Hill's and Carter's Hall of Fame hopes. "That's why stats are very difficult to go by. Some part of it has to be an eye test. You watched. You felt.

"The stats would say yes for Carter. The longevity would say yes. You'd have a hard time saying no."

Not done yet

It is remarkable that Hill has a chance after ankle injuries robbed him of most of his prime seasons. For the four seasons that he was 28 to 31 years old, Hill played in only 47 of 328 games. Until then, he had been All-NBA first or second team for five consecutive seasons.

"When you're young and your ego consumes you and things are going well, you get caught up in your legacy - as crazy as that might sound," Hill said. "It seems so far in the future then. After going through my injuries, that's not something that consumes me at all. If it happens, it happens. It'd be a huge honor. But I'm proud of what I've been able to do and what I've been able to overcome. I've been humbled a bit so it's not something I think about often."

Carter had not noticed the legendary names that surround him on the list. He recently passed John Stockton, Bob Lanier and Gail Goodrich, who are Hall of Fame members.

"I never thought about that (Hall of Fame) aspect of it," Carter said. "I've never looked at the list. I never thought about myself or considered myself in that group. I feel like you play out your career and it'll speak for itself. You always hope for that, just like you hope to be an All-Star. You hope to win a championship. You hope at the end of your career that it happens. You never know."

To a degree, they control their fate, although neither has many years left to play. Hill plans to return next season, when he will be 39, and the Suns likely will make Carter, 33, a free agent this summer. On Monday, a new Hall of Fame induction class will be announced with a group that could speak well for Hill's chances with a multi-level basketball resume.

Hill might find his way to Hall of Fame distinction before he ever retires. There is speculation that Hill will be appointed as the first ever active player to serve on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Board of Governors. The board next meets in May.

"I'll just have to play another 10 years, add another couple thousand points and see what happens," Hill said. "It makes you appreciate those who get in. It doesn't just take two or three good years but it's a whole body of work and doing it consistently over a long, successful career."